Choice, Rationality and Social Theory (RLE Social Theory) - 9781138970595

Taylor & Francis

Choice, Rationality and Social Theory (RLE Social Theory)Author(s): Barry Hindess\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9781138970595, 978-1138970595\nSynopsis\nChoice, Rationality and Social Theory is a powerful rebuttal of the remarkably influential theories underlying 'rational choice analysis'. Rational choice analysis maintains that social life is principally to be explained as the outcome of rational choices on the part of individual actors. Adherents of this view include not only philosophers, political scientists and sociologists, but also prominent politicians in Western governments notably of the United Kingdom and the United States. Rational choice analysis is said to be rigorous, capable of great technical sophistication, and able to generate powerful explanations on the basis of a few, relatively simple theoretical assumptions.\n\nBarry Hindess argues that the theory is seriously deficient, first, because t.